Development of Autonomous Material Transportation Robots: Mechanical Design and Safety Measurements*

The shortage of young labor in construction sites can be addressed effectively if fully autonomous material transportation can be realized. In this work, we present a gate-type robot that can transport carts (loaded with building materials) up to five times of its own weight. Additionally, various types of measures including mechanical, electricidal, and control strategies have been considered for the safety of the workers, robots, and surroundings. The presented robots have been evaluated in real construction sites considering both manipulation capacity and safety performance.